Juba – Well being authorities in South Sudan have declared a cholera outbreak in Renk, a county situated on the northern border of Sudan and the primary level of entry for refugees and returnees fleeing the continuing armed battle in that nation. A complete of fifty suspected circumstances with six confirmed circumstances had been reported amongst refugees, returnees and the host neighborhood as of 28 October 2024.
In response, the well being authorities have activated the cholera taskforce on the county degree to facilitate coordinated response efforts and the nationwide incident administration system has been engaged. To boost illness surveillance, well being authorities are offering steerage to all well being amenities within the space on what constitutes a cholera case definition and mobilizing boma well being staff to conduct energetic case discovering and phone tracing. Moreover, 30 well being staff have been skilled in figuring out, reporting and testing for suspected cholera circumstances and in pattern assortment procedures.
“The Ministry of Well being is conscious of the troublesome situations refugees and returnees face, equivalent to overcrowding and poor water and sanitation, which may result in outbreaks, nonetheless, the Ministry is working with well being, vitamin and water sanitation and hygiene cluster companions on the bottom to make sure that the danger of the outbreak spreading is minimized,” says Yolanda Awel Deng, the Minister of Well being in South Sudan.
South Sudan is presently experiencing unprecedented flooding that has induced widespread devastation in a number of elements of the nation and affected greater than 81 300 individuals and displaced round 46 500 individuals in Higher Nile State, the place Renk is situated. These numbers proceed to rise each week and place already weak individuals prone to infectious illnesses equivalent to cholera.
World Well being Group (WHO) is working carefully with the well being authorities and companions and has offered assist to determine two cholera therapy models, one at Renk Civil Hospital which has a capability of 10 beds and one other at Wunthou level of entry, with 4 beds. The present restoration charge is 80% and people hospitalized are exhibiting important progress and enchancment.
WHO has additionally deployed two fast response groups, which embrace state coordinators, epidemiologists, consultants in water, sanitation and hygiene, an infection prevention and management, danger communication and neighborhood engagement and laboratory officers. Further public well being and laboratory consultants are scheduled for deployment inside the week.
On 25 October, WHO delivered 12 metric tons of well being emergency kits to Renk. These kits can deal with round 74 000 individuals and embrace cholera kits which may deal with 560 extreme and 2340 delicate to reasonable circumstances. The cargo additionally consists of a cholera investigation package, 25 cholera beds, two cholera logistics modules and ten tents of various measurement.
“I commend the Authorities of South Sudan on its high-level response to the cholera outbreak on this fragile space of the nation,” says Dr Humphrey Karamagi, WHO Consultant in South Sudan. “WHO is dedicated to supporting the Ministry of Well being in enhancing illness surveillance, bettering response coordination, and guaranteeing the provision of medical provides.”